Beef Cattle: Why Should You Spice Their Diet With Live Yeast?

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12 February 2018

The secret to having healthy beef cattle lies in the diet. Don't be the ordinary farmer who just feeds their animal grasses while leaving out some spices that can go a long way in improving the nutritional value of what your animal eats. Over the years, yeast has played a huge role in improving the value of animal food. However, many farmers are torn between using live and dead yeast. This discussion evaluates the benefits of using live yeast when feeding your beef cattle:

Live Yeast Prevents Acidosis

Acidosis is a common nutritional condition plaguing cattle. Ideally, the cattle's gut should be at a constant pH of about 6.2 and above. Any value below that heightens the level of acidity in the stomach, and the animal will start to show signs of discomfort. Diets with high levels of starch (such as wheat and barley) or low levels of fibre are notorious for raising the levels of acidity. Thankfully, lacing such diets with live yeast assists in maintaining the desired pH level. The animal will therefore rarely suffer from acidosis.

There Is a Rumen-Specific Option for Your Cattle

Live yeast comes in a range of species that you can choose from. This is to the advantage of the farmer and the animal in particular because you can use different species of yeast to address various conditions. For instance, yeast species with high metabolic rates can be used to lace diets for an animal with bloating and scouring problems. The hyperactive yeast will break down the food rapidly and decongest the gut.

Live Yeast Is Flexible

Sometimes, it is difficult to put additives in your cattle's diet because they do not complement what the animal is eating. To add on that, some additives may not bring in the desired nutritional value when mixed with what your animal prefers to eat. However, live yeast is ideal because of its flexibility and the fact that you can mix it with a range of stock feed. Mineral pre-mixes, grasses, blends and compound feeds go well with live yeast. There is really no limit to what you can use them on.

Facilitates Digestion of Fibre

Fibre contains lignin. Lignin is hard to break down through the normal digestion process, meaning that the animal misses out on chunks of energy because it cannot break down the fibre completely. Live yeast breaks down lignin so that the animal can benefit by getting more energy and nutrients from its food.

Alicia Pena
12 February 2018
Tags: 412 Words

About Me

There is a lot more to life on the farm than rounding up chook eggs and bringing the cows in for milking. My family have been farmers for four generations, and my dad is starting to pass tips and advice to me. I am excited about learning how to run a farm of my own one day, especially with all the changes in modern farming which make life easier. My blog posts are all about the advice and hands-on experience I am receiving on my family's farm. I will also look at the different types of farming equipment now available. My posts will appeal to both wannabe farmers and those who just have a hobbiest interest in agriculture.